Bridge nears completion as festival approaches

Bridge nears completion as festival approaches

Tyler White, a worker for LaRosa Construction, operates a roller over a new bridge nearing completion at the exit ramp of Hubbard Park in Meriden, Monday, April 14, 2014. | Dave Zajac / Record-Journal

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Joe LaRosa of LaRosa Construction operates a grader over a new bridge nearing completion at the exit ramp of Hubbard Park in Meriden, Monday, April 14, 2014. | Dave Zajac / Record-Journal

Traffic congestion around Hubbard Park due to a detour that leads vehicles out the Reservoir Avenue exit in the northeast corner of the park, Monday, April 14, 2014. | Dave Zajac / Record-Journal

Workers from Rhode Island based Newport Tent Company square up poles supporting the main tent in preparation for the annual Daffodil Festival at Hubbard Park in Meriden, Monday, April 14, 2014. | Dave Zajac / Record-Journal

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Eli Cooper, a worker for Imperial Shows, unpacks plush animal prizes while setting up a game in preparation for the annual Daffodil Festival at Hubbard Park in Meriden, Monday, April 14, 2014. | Dave Zajac / Record-Journal

April 15, 2014 01:10AM
By Dan Brechlin
Record-Journal staff

MERIDEN — The new bridge at the exit of Hubbard Park is nearing completion and expected to be ready for the start of the Daffodil Festival, which has preliminary activities beginning this weekend.

The bridge at the West Main Street exit of Hubbard Park was closed in early January due to concerns that it had been failing in recent years. The bridge had noticeably sunken and a long-term fix was needed, said Parks and Recreation Director Mark Zebora.

LaRosa Construction Co. has been working for close to a month to build a new bridge along Notch Road. Also included in the project are site work, drainage improvements and the installation of a culvert. Part of the contract stipulated that the project had to be completed by the start of the festival.

“If it was not going to rain (today), they would be out there paving,” Zebora said. “They will pave on Wednesday and then they just have to put the railing up on the east side of the bridge and (the railing) has already been ordered.”

The total cost of the bridge project is expected to be $90,500, according to a quote submitted by LaRosa to the city’s Purchasing Department. Because of time constraints, the city requested quotes from four companies for the project and received two responses. The other response came from Meriden-based D&V Morin Construction and the estimate was for $99,500.

City Councilor Cathy Battista said she drove to the park to check on progress Monday, but was unsure how close the project was to completion.

“I think it’s going to get done, but I couldn’t believe how much it looked like they have left to do,” Battista said. “But they have done a lot of work.”

Since the Festival of Lights ended, Notch Road has been blocked from the parking lot across from the swimming pool to the exit. A detour has taken motorists passed the pool and toward Reservoir Road where they can navigate through the neighborhood.

With the Daffodil Festival nearing, motorists have been required to turn left onto Notch Road and follow Reservoir Avenue out of the park, to the north of the park’s playground.

The Daffodil Festival’s first round of events are scheduled to begin this weekend with a tag sale and fishing derby scheduled for Saturday. Next week, the Little Miss Daffodil contest will be held, in addition to the full festival next weekend, with other events scattered throughout the week.